Exploring the existence of free will: A neuroscientific investigation
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.54097/mx0smm68Keywords:
Free will; neuroscience technology; philosophy; libert style experiment; sense.Abstract
Free will, an age-old philosophical concept, is integral to our understanding of human autonomy, ethical responsibility, and the legal system. Its presence or absence fundamentally influences our decisions and the fabric of societal norms. In recent years, the advancement of neuroscience has made re-evaluating free will increasingly important. This paper reviews philosophical perspectives from ancient to modern times, integrates neuroscientific experiments, and analyzes psychological research to comprehensively explore the issue of the existence of free will. It enumerates contemporary mainstream views on the existence of free will, discusses the sources of the sense of free will, and highlights its profound implications for both individual and collective societal structures. The paper finds that current discussions on the existence of free will remain controversial. In the end, it summarizes the findings and provides an outlook on future research. New technologies and further interdisciplinary studies are expected to offer new perspectives and evidence for understanding free will.
Downloads
References
[1] Kane R. The Significance of Free Will. 1996, Oxford Univ Pr.
[2] Kui Y. Can Science Prove That Free Will is Just an Illusion? 2016, World Philos., 6: 80-87+158.
[3] Soon CS, Brass M, Heinze HJ, Haynes JD. Unconscious determinants of free decisions in the human brain. 2008, Nat Neurosci., 11(5): 543-545.
[4] Greene JD, Cohen JD. For the law, neuroscience changes nothing and everything. 2004, Philos Trans R Soc B Biol Sci., 359(1451): 1775-1785.
[5] Crick F. The Astonishing Hypothesis: The Scientific Search for the Soul. 1994, New York: Charles Scribner's Sons.
[6] Helmholtz H. Handbuch der physiologischen Optik. 1867, Leipzig: Voss.
[7] Dennett DC. Freedom Evolves. 2003, New York: Viking Press.
[8] Descartes R. Meditations on First Philosophy. 1641, In: Cottingham J, Stoothoff R, Murdoch D, editors. The Philosophical Writings of Descartes. Vol. 2. Cambridge: Cambridge Univ Pr. p. 1-62.
[9] Double R. The Non-Reality of Free Will. 1991, Oxford Univ Pr.
[10] Kim J. Physicalism, or Something Near Enough. 2005, Princeton Univ Pr.
[11] Damasio AR. The Feeling of What Happens: Body and Emotion in the Making of Consciousness. 1999, Harcourt.
[12] Smith J. Ancient Greek Philosophy. 2020, New York: Academic Press.
[13] Taylor CCW. The Atomists: Leucippus and Democritus. 1999, In: Routledge History of Philosophy. Vol. 1. Routledge. p. 37-59.
[14] Audi R. Moral Knowledge and Ethical Character. 1999, Oxford Univ Pr.
[15] Kant I. Groundwork of the Metaphysics of Morals. 1998, Edited and translated by Gregor M. Cambridge Univ Pr.
[16] Hume D. An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding. 2000, Edited by Beauchamp TL. Oxford Univ Pr.
[17] Dennett DC. Consciousness Explained. 1991, Little, Brown and Company.
[18] Harris S. Free Will. 2012, Free Press.
[19] Kane R. Free Will: New Directions for an Ancient Problem. 2002, In: Kane R, editor. The Oxford Handbook of Free Will. Oxford Univ Pr. p. 448-472.
[20] Soon CS, Brass M, Heinze HJ, Haynes JD. Unconscious determinants of free decisions in the human brain. Nature Neuroscience, 2008, 11(5): 543-545.
[21] Fried I, Mukamel R, Kreima G. Internally generated pre-stimulus brain activity predicts perception and its confidence. 2011, Philos Trans R Soc B Biol Sci., 366(1574): 3059-3069.
[22] Wegner D. The Illusion of Conscious Will. 2002, Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.
[23] Stillman TF, Baumeister RF, Vohs KD, Lambert NM, Fincham FD, Brewer LE. Personal Philosophy and Personnel Achievement: Belief in Free Will Predicts Better Job Performance. 2010, Soc Psychol Pers Sci., 1(1): 43-50.
[24] Harris J. Freedom and the Law: Revisiting Hegel's Philosophy of Right. 2020, Law Philos., 39(4): 501-520.
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2024 Journal of Education, Humanities and Social Sciences

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.






